Automatic gate-closer



(No Model.)

S. H. SPENCER. AUTOMATIC GATE CLOSER.

No. 436,506. Patented Sept. 16, 1890.

INVEW A TTEIRNEYE.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON HOGUESPENCER, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC GATE-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,506, dated September 16, 1890.

Application filed May 28, 1890. Serial No. 353,466. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON HOGUE SPEN- CER, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gate-Closers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My improvements, which will readily appear from the following, consist in certain novel appliances for automatically closing gates.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a swing-gate with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2, a detail enlarged, showing the device to surmount a post and carrying a pivoted frame in which are the bearings for a pulley; Fig. 3, the post to which the device shown in Fig. 2 is to be permanently secured, and Fig. 4 a plan view.

A is the gate, hung at one end on hinges in any well-known manner.

B is a rectangular flat piece of, metal adapted to be fitted securely to the top of a post 0 by screws or other fastenings, as shown. This plate B is integral with a fixed frame D, in which is pivoted the swiveling frame or pulley-block E, which carries the pulley'G, the arrangement being such that the block E is free to swing upon its pivots f f to any required degree.

The frame D, with its plate B, being first permanently attached, as setforth, to apost, such as 0, this device is connected to the gate as follows: A rigid rod H is attached near the top of the gate at any desirable point and in any convenient manner, but preferably near the middle of the gate, and the post 0 should be distant from the gate about half the width of the gate. The rod H should extend from the gate in substantially a horizontal direction and project through the space between the grooved roller Gr and the upper part of the swivel-block E. To the end of this rod thus projecting beyond the pulley is attached a cord or chain, which from such point of connection is passed back through block E and over the pulley, and is provided at its other and pendent end with a weight sufficient to serve as a force to close the opened gate. The point at which the rod H is attached to the gate may be varied at will, and in putting up a gate with my improvements the post C can be located at any suitable point relatively to the gate and to the point of attachment of the rod to the gate, as may be found most convenient and eificient in practice. The post H may be round, square, or of any form in cross-section.

I make no'claim, broadly, to a rod, cord,

swiveled pulley, and weight for gate-closing apparatus.

By my construction it will now be seen that the top of the post by means of the capplate 13 is protected largely against damage by rain and consequent decay; that it has no socket within which the spindle of any pulley or attachment swings or plays into which rain may fall and remain; that the pulley and its attachments are substantially in vertical .line with the post; that the cord or chain meets with no friction whatever, except that which is due to its unavoidable bearing upon the pulley; that the rod H, lying as it does in free open space, meets with practically no friction whatever, and therefore that the descent of the weight cannot fail to close the gate, because there is the minimum of resistance and nothing to stick or clog the movement.

It will of course be understood that in opening the gate to, say, ninety degrees the gate will be swung around to almost immediate contact with the post, and that the swiveling of the pulley-block E on its pivots ff permits the requisite movement of the bar H, due to the movement of the gate. It will be observed that the wheel works close to the sides of the swing-block E, to make sure that the cord and rod shall keep in their proper positions. It will be observed that the shutting force is about uniform, and hence unlike springs, whose force is weakest when the gate is open but a little; but when the gate has been opened to its fullest extent there is a gradually-accelerated force due to the fall of the weight, so as to insure complete closing.

It will also be observed that, owing to the small amount of friction in the working of the device, a very slight weight is required, which allows the gate to open with little resistance 5 and does not rack the gate and the posts affected as would a heavier weight.

Having-now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a gate-closing apparatus, the frame to D B, constructed and adapted to be applied to the top of a post as described, combined with the swiveling pulley-block and pulley, all as set forth.

2. In combination, the post, the frameD'B, the pulley-block and pulley, and the rod with I 5 its cord and weight, the rod being attached to the gate, all substantially as set forth.

SOLOMON HO GUE SPENCER. 

